Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer

You know I love my cozy mysteries and I especially love them with a serving of comfort food... like a steaming bowl of soup. Ladle to the Grave is the fourth part in the Soup Lovers Mystery series by Connie Archer.

From the back of the book:

By the Spoonful is Snowflake, Vermont’s most popular soup shop, but owner Lucky Jamieson doesn't have any time to enjoy her success—she’s too busy trying to keep a lid on false accusations against her loved ones.

It’s almost May, and some of the local ladies have organized a pagan celebration in the woods to welcome spring. But the evening goes terribly wrong when one of the attendees winds up dead, apparently poisoned by an herbal concoction prepared by Lucky’s grandfather, Jack.

Lucky’s sure her grandfather could not have made such a tragic mistake. But before she can clear him of suspicion, her best friend, Sophie, is diverted from planning her wedding to By the Spoonful chef Sage DuBois when she finds a dead man floating in the creek on her property. Now it’s up to Lucky to get both Sophie and Jack out of hot water before a killer stirs up more trouble.

My thoughts:

This story really tugged at my heart strings. I couldn't help but hope that Lucky would solve the mystery so Jack would stop blaming himself. Poor Jack really went through some personal struggles with his own issues that were aggravated by the stress of himself and others blaming him for this death. The stack sure was stacked further against Lucky when another body turns up, this one linked to Sophie! Lucky wasn't very lucky to be trying to solve two murders!

It had a cozy mellow pace that I enjoyed during our recent thunderstorms every afternoon. I loved that there were two mysteries to be solved, it added a wonderful depth to the story. Oh and the recipes in the back of the book are some of the most unique I have seen. I know we will trying the avocado & red pepper sandwiches!! 

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.